Day 3

In the morning, a group of us headed out to Fondazione Prada. It was an optional activity, but I figured it would be good to spend some of my time in Milan doing something I might otherwise do as a normal tourist. Architecturally, the Prada Foundation is an impressive complex, and I’m glad to have experienced it. But the art and exhibitions within? Look, I know nothing about art. But I couldn’t hide my confusion. Drones? An enormous room filled with clay sculptures that I felt could have been a high school art fair? Vintage cars skewered by metal rods? Sorry!

We grabbed a quick snack at the adjacent Wes Anderson-designed Bar Luce. Very cute.

Lunch was at LùBar, a greenhouse-like eatery beloved by Barnaba Fornasetti aka son of the OG Fornasetti. I could drink approx. two hundred of the Sud cocktail, a refreshing concoctions of basil, gin, and limoncello.

After lunch, I walked over to Arket (a subsidiary of H&M that honestly NEEDS to come to the States).

But let us back up for a moment. The day before, I had gone to the preview of Laila Gohar’s fruit carousel which was created to promote her fashion collab with Arket. Guests at the preview walked away with a tote, which contained a print and a certificate that could be claimed at the Arket store for a gift from the collection.

And so that Tuesday afternoon, I waltzed into Arket to redeem my gift. Turns out said “gift” was…a tote and a print. Ahem. I walked away from the register awkwardly before turning around and returning it. To be completely honest, I had already trashed the tote and the print from the day before.

FYI, Arket’s homewares collection is pretty limited (at least from what I saw in-store), but I did love these mesh bowls.

The evening was occupied by the Kelly Wearstler x H&M Home “dînatoire.” What is a dînatoire, you ask? It’s basically a more substantial cocktail party, which T magazine calls “all the rage.” It felt very chic and fancy. I wore a dress so short, I had to wear bike shorts underneath. (Mom took some fashion risks!) It was fun to once again be at Palazzo Acerbi and to experience it at night. We ran into friend of the letter, Monsieur David Michon aka whom we affectionately refer to as Davide over texts.

The evening finished with a late-night dinner at Dal Bolognese, where I had the tagliatelle with bolognese; it was one of the best things I ate on the trip.

Day 4

Preface to day 4: I’m not trying to sound ungracious but this was the day things got weird…

It was time to check out of the STRAF Hotel. I booked myself an Airbnb for the last night in Porta Venezia and was feeling exceptionally unenthused about it after the male host kept asking me if I was traveling alone. Read the room! Don’t keep asking that question to a woman! (Luckily, the Airbnb was totally fine.)

My first stop of the morning was Casa Milana, a private home that doubles as a showroom and creative space. The occasion was a presentation for Beni Rugs — a brand I adore — but I found myself more captivated by the setting itself. Casa Milana embodies that distinctly European restraint: a reverence for original, historical bones paired with an almost studied refusal to over-decorate. Details that might tip into cliché elsewhere — a set of hand-shaped knobs, say — land here with quiet conviction, as if they’ve always belonged.

The standout, for me, was a lava stone coffee table I’m fairly certain was designed by Mario Milana, the home’s owner and founder.

I then had a reservation for Baccarat’s exhibition, titled Crystal Crypt, an installation created by artist Emmanuelle Luciani. Despite the reservation, I spent about 45 minutes in line. Visitors stepped into a room covered floor-to-wall in purple carpet, and were then subjected to a 12-minute movie I can best describe as Vulcan Orgy of Nightmarish Proportions in a Glass Factory.

In multiple scenes — set to a soundtrack of spoken word over intense electronic dance music — muscled, sweaty, shirtless men wield spears that feel ripped straight from a Klingon armory. Are they about to fight to the death? Fuck? Or are they just about to forge a set of crystal champagne flutes?

Afterwards, your consolation prize is a cup of mostly-melted raspberry sorbet.

I was hoping to check out the Aesop installation, but the line was worse than Disneyland’s most popular attraction on Spring Break. No.

Then I thought I’d go see this pink maze thing. The line was also absurd. Worse than Courage Bagels at 11 am on a Sunday. No, grazie.

What didn’t have a line was Patricia Urquiola’s collab with German bathware company Duravit. In fact, the collection, titled Balcoon, received almost zero attention from the design press, but I found it to be yet another fun example of Urquiola’s seemingly endless creativity. Sinks, bidets, toilets, stacked in totems — all taking sculptural forms and interesting colors.

For dinner, I met up with fellow “design Substack” pal of Absolument. We’d never met in person before (Kelsey lives in France, ooh la la) but it felt like chatting with an old friend. We had a fascinating conversation over meatballs (v. yum) at Osteria Alla Concorrenza about Kelsey’s work as archivist of the Eames Office.

Kelsey then accompanied me to the famed Bar Basso, host to Salone’s late-night design crowd. As someone said during the week, “All roads lead to Bar Basso.” We arrived at a reasonable 7:30 pm but it was pure chaos! We waited and waited to get the attention of a bartender. An equally annoyed but pushy Italian lady took us under her wing and got us served. There is truly only standing room outside and it is dominated by a cloud of cigarette smoke.

Reader, this elder millennial is dismayed to report that she found Bar Basso to be downright displeasing.

Then it was back to the Airbnb to pack up for my flight back home in the morning.

Overall, I loved my time at Milan Design Week. Aside from some of the weirdness and the lines, it was really quite something to see an entire village come together to celebrate design. My first two days, I was surrounded by Americans at press previews. But as the festival began opening up to the public, I heard more and more Italian spoken in the lines that crawled through the Brera Design District. I saw groups of Italian teenagers exiting events, their shoulders heavy with multiples of free totes filled with (most probably) prints and small gifts. I thought, “Wow, what cool kids!”

Until I began to wonder if maybe they were just in it to resell all the Gucci sodas. Nahhhh.

If I had to do it all over — and I truly, truly hope I get to next year! — I probably would have consulted with my pals at to plot a more aggressive itinerary. I also would have stayed one more day to attend the actual trade show, which most people don’t go to, but seems like a real missed opportunity to me! First-timer lessons learned!

Hello folks,

As many of you know, I just returned from Salone del Mobile, Milan’s annual, v. v. important design festival. You can catch up with my adventure by reading about my packing list, and my first installment about my experience as a first-timer. Today, I’ll give you a rundown of my first two days. Stay tuned later this week for the rest of the trip. And keep an eye out next week for my final Salone report—on the toilets and toilet paper of Milan.

Day 1

I landed in Milan early morning on Sunday the 19th. On the drive into town, I felt wrecked by some 16 hours of travel from Los Angeles and thought I might genuinely be sick. It was an instant reminder that my body hasn’t been functioning like I want it to (I’ve had way too many illnesses this year, blah blah) and that I’d probably have to pace myself during the trip.

Once slightly more rested (though still faintly nauseous), I made my way to Alcova, the itinerant, multi-designer exhibition that materializes each year during Milan Design Week. This time, it was split between two sites: an abandoned military hospital and Villa Pestarini, a Franco Albini–designed home never before opened to the public.

I chose the hospital first and was immediately struck by the setting: a cluster of crumbling stucco buildings scattered across overgrown grounds. Exhibitions unfolded in former doctors’ offices and operating rooms, some still outfitted with vintage equipment, lending the whole thing a distinctly haunted elegance.

Case in point: the first installation I encountered was Sten Studio’s The Wedding—a scene of candlelit stone sculptures accompanied by a live harpist. My favorites from Alcova:

• Studio Noff: Light fixtures of amber-hued glass draped with glass beads.

• Marlot Baus: Spindly braided candlesticks and a chair with a trail of braided hay.

• Sari Valenci: Slovenian fashion designer who made a pink plastic tablecloth resembling a blouse.

• Sister by Studio Ashby: Finally got to meet Sophie Ashby and see my long-desired rug (here) in person. I really admire Ashby’s collection and her work as an interior designer.

• Spread/"Colored Boundaries”: This Tokyo-based duo installed undulating sheets of sheer fabric outside. I spoke with one of the artists for a while who asked me how the pieces made me feel. I said “serene,” which I hope was the right answer.

I then took a short car ride over to the other location of Alcova, arriving to a standstill line stretching down the block. By this point, I decided I couldn’t wait for a half-hour in the sun. Although I now regret this as I’ve heard I really missed out.

In the evening, I met up with my pal to check out Laila Gohar’s fruit and veg carousel. This install (to promote Gohar’s fashion collab with the retailer Arket) got tons of attention and rightly so—it was nice to see something unserious and joyful. We then went to ’s cocktail before meeting up with the H&M Home crew for dinner. Before calling it a night, I roamed through the Duomo-adjacent department store Rinascente where I was appalled by a Yankee Candle kiosk and delighted by some Zafferano wine glasses I couldn’t fit in my carry-on.

Day 2

Monday started off with the press preview for Kelly Wearstler’s collection with H&M Home. The presentation was held at Palazzo Acerbi, a 17th-century Baroque palace never-before opened to the public—a space almost unreal in its beauty and detail. On display was a portion of the KW x H&M Home collection (the full range will be available online in September), artfully arranged across rooms with frescos, towering windows, and marble stonework. The clear star of the show is the Noxen chair, a heavy wood piece with a trapezoidal seat and a contrasting black stain. The lighting also stood out to me. Favorites: a lamp fashioned in a silhouette of a lamp (so meta!) and cylindrical floor and table lamps wrapped in linen.

I then headed off with some pals to view Eny Lee Parker’s (love her!) installation. The egg-shaped mega lamp truly lived up.

When I heard there was a Buly outpost in Milan, I knew I had to make time to stop in. I picked up a pumice stone that’s kept in a porcelain box; you pour on essential oil to diffuse the scent in a room.

Then it was back to the hotel for a brief rest. The STRAF is lovely and in a really great central location, but it’s also puzzlingly hilarious. The tagline is “stay in an art project,” and the site reads, “We love musicians, DJs, artists, installations, performance art, conceptual art and cosy bedrooms that defy convention.” I can best describe the decor as hard and slightly aggro. The door to your room will look like a bunker. And you will also likely have a massage chair in your room. Not an arty-looking massage chair, but a very standard nail salon type massage chair, which truly seems like a line item that could have been cut from the design budget. I rightly guessed that this hotel was designed by a man. But! It’s quiet, the rooms are spacious, and the staff is very nice.

Anyhow, where was I? By now, it was about 6 pm and Sydney and I headed out to view Flamingo Estate’s collab with Kohler. The presentation was pretty—a recreation of the Flamingo Estate founder’s L.A. bathhouse—but I didn’t find the pieces (bath tubs, sinks) to present any new ideas.

We then popped into Casa Laveni, a newly opened hotel where much of the design media was staying. (I heard some people got comped rooms, others were offered a press rate, which was still 500€ per night, ouch.) In the lobby, Ananas Ananas showed a very cool stainless steel tablecloth, one of my favorite items I saw during my trip.

Dinner was at Rovello 18, where I discovered the glassware of Massimo Lunardon, which teeters between weird/cheesy and beautiful.

It was then time for a second dinner. Yes, second, which was hosted by Camron PR at Trattoria del Ciumbia—worth it for the decor alone. Sadly, I didn’t get to taste much of the food because I was so exhausted. I started to feel delirious around the time the guy next to me started to describe his documentary about Japanese monks. I tried to keep pushing through but decided this was another “listen to your body” moment, and so I ducked out early. Kudos to anyone who attended the post-dinner late-night disco.

That’s all for now. Days 3 and 4 coming up soon. Any questions, comments, concerns?

Ciao,

Leo

Outfits

#1: Roucha Duchamp Stud Denim, Roucha Keaton Sweater, Autry Sneakers
#2: Roucha Toyen Shirt, Roucha Sota Shirt, Roucha Dessau Vintage Denim
#3: Anntian Dress, Aeyde Cage Flats
#4: H&M Polka Dot Dress, Roucha Oko Coat, Clare V Purse

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Hello Schmattaworld!

Greetings from bed where I’ve been put out by a god-awful stomach bug. I’m on the mend and thankful it happened before Saturday, which is when I depart for Salone del Mobile aka the biggest design festival of the year. FYI, likely no letter next week as I’ll be in the thick of it, but you can count on a rundown of my experience the following week. I’ve never been to Salone, so I’ll be telling the tale as an outsider. You can read about my previous adventures in Design Industryland here:

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P.S.: Don’t forget that this month’s giveaway is open to all subscribers. Like and comment to enter!

Ahead, what I’m packing for my trip. Feel free to share your favorite travel things in the comments.

4 nights in Milan…lezzzgooooo!

Because I am someone who cares about what everyone else thinks of me, the first thing I realized after getting invited to Milan is that I wanted to look cool. Sorry if that’s lame, but whatever—I just want to look really, really cool!

Clothes & Accessories:

I acquired a bunch of new stuff from my favorite “cool mom” label, Roucha. Many many thanks to my pal, Jill Wenger, for straight up sending me a care package from heaven. I genuinely recommend Roucha for some very specific reasons—many of the jeans feature adjustable drawstrings, and are made of the softest denim I’ve ever felt; the pieces have an architectural edge without feeling too austere; and Roucha also has a points system to get free stuff! Here’s my haul:

• The Oko coat, a voluminous trench that I accessorized with the Postmodern pin. And it really is all about the pin.

  

• For pants, I got two pairs of jeans: Duchamp Stud Denim and Dessau Vintage Denim.

• The Sota shirt, an oversized short sleeve button up.

• The Toyen shirt, which I plan to wear as a light jacket option.

• The Keaton sweater, which can be worn buttoned up, or open over a tank top.

• The Gauguin sunglasses because obviously.

For bags:

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Welcome, welcome!

It’s time for another round of Good Schmutz, my monthly-ish column of design happenings, new releases, ones to watch, and just cool stuff I’m loving. If you want to get caught up on our previous edition, I’ve temporarily removed the paywall:

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Otherwise, onto what’s NEWNEWNEW:

#1: I gotta say—there aren’t many pretty trash cans on the market. Kudos to Caraway Home for this new trash and recycling duo.

#2: I’m appreciating the tile work in designer Nina Freudenberger’s latest kitchen.

#3: I bookmarked this ADU of a home that was recently on the market in El Sereno (East L.A.) because this is actually such a genius way to add more space to a small structure: place it partially below ground. (See IG for more pics.)

#4: My favorite cleaning brand, Koala Eco, sent me their new rosalina and peppermint hand soap and body lotion. I love that the soap makes your hands feel really, really clean. As always, my top rec if you are new to Koala Eco is the Best Seller Collection, currently on sale.

#5: Unhinged Airbnb.

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Welcome to April. I’ve been keeping an eye out for some good April Fool’s design jokes. So far, the winner is this “toilet cover” by Piglet in Bed:

But what is NOT an April Fool’s joke is this month’s giveaway for Schmatta subscribers: A copy of A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia McAlester. More importantly, it’s truly not a joke when people refer to McAlester as “The Queen of Historic Preservation.” She spent her life advocating for the landmarking and preservation of homes and neighborhoods across Dallas.

While Schmatta giveaways are usually for paid subscribers only, this month is open to all subscribers because this book means so much to me and it’s something I want everyone to have a chance to win. (More details on entry at the end of this post.)

The Field Guide, originally published in 1984 and updated and revised in 2013, has long been considered an architectural bible for both professionals and enthusiasts. It begins over 400 years ago, detailing construction techniques of Native Americans and covering every major American domestic architectural style up to the McMansion (which she calls the “Millennial Mansion”).

My copy of this tome is well-worn: pages marked with notes in different colored inks, dog-eared, and ripped in places. I use it frequently for work (when writing about architecture and I’m unsure of a style or name of a specific architectural feature) and for pleasure (each chapter is like a fascinating mini history lesson).

I’m proud to say that I knew Virginia (she passed in 2020). My friend Amy Talkington is Virginia’s daughter, and for a time, we were all linked as family when my sister was married to Amy’s step-brother (it’s complicated but all you need to know is that we have a lot of love for each other). I spent Christmases at Virginia’s amazing mission-style home on Swiss Avenue in Dallas and we shared many family dinners together here in L.A. She was classy, kind, supremely intelligent, and the kind of older woman I looked at with respect and reverence. I only wish I had developed my interest in design and architecture before her death; I have so many questions now I’d love to ask her.

Virginia’s work lives on through one of my all-time favorite Instagram accounts, @afieldguidetoamericanhouses, where you can get a flavor of the book through posts that feature passages and illustrations. Trust me, it’s very educational!

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To enter to win your copy of A Field Guide to American Houses, you must:

• Be a Schmatta subscriber. If you’re not, sign up here.

• LIKE and COMMENT on this post.

• Follow @afieldguidetoamericanhouses on IG.

Best of luck to you all!

We have a slightly unconventional newsletter this week (and yes, late—my apologies). The past few weeks have been a particular cocktail of anticipation and low-grade chaos: waiting on answers alongside some health issues that have been…persistent. More on both in a moment, but I thought I’d take this time to talk a bit about where where my brain is at these days.

We returned back to our Pasadena home on January 1st. It was a breath of fresh air after 4+ months in NYC. “You seem like a different person,” a friend who doesn’t even know me that well texted me after just two IG Story posts from my front porch. (If you’re new here, in a nutshell, we rented our house and moved in with my parents in NYC following a series of unfortunate career blows and financial uncertainty. We’re back now, trying to “make it work” but, um, basically living off savings.)

26% off subscription sale!

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Is it just me, or perhaps you’ve noticed decor becoming increasingly…theatrical?This has manifested in wink-and-nod products bordering on satire. I’m thinking about Seletti’s giant Bic pen light or fashion-mimicking items like Oeuvre Sensibles’ Clothing Curtains, which were just mentioned in a NYT article about designers making home items to resemble cl…

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This month, one lucky paid Schmatta reader will receive 4 sets of Lazy Jamie flatware…

…as well as a Lazy Jamie cheese knife set.

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Take it from me: I have the cutlery and I love it. Compliments galore from every guest who eats in our home. (If you want to skip the whole giveaway thing and buy some now, you can use code LEONORA15 at checkout for 15% off.)

You’ve definitely heard me talk about Lazy Jamie before, in fact I included the brand’s TV tray in my “Best in Design 2025” awards.

This tray has a bunch of features that make it award-worthy: the base can slide under your couch and the tray is removable/portable. It doesn’t just need to be for TV-eating, either. It fits a laptop perfectly, so all you small space dwellers now have a new WFH option.

To enter to win the flatware and cheese knife set, you must be a paid Schmatta subscriber. To upgrade your subscription, click below:

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Once you’ve signed up for paid, you’ll be automatically entered to win for this giveaway—and every one of our monthly giveaways. Best of luck to you!

Again, if there’s something at Lazy Jamie you’ve had your eye on, feel free to use my code LEONORA15 to get 15% off your purchase.

Today, we’re talking with my friend Robert Khederian about our love for old houses. Robert’s the author of one of my top three favorite Substacks, Second Story, which covers historic NYC real estate and antiques, among other things. He and I share an obsession with history and “old fashioned-ness.” In the comments, we’d love to hear about your own old h…

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Gustaf Westman, patron saint of Gen Z design, has a knack for capturing the moment. To wit: The Swede just created a curling-inspired bowl and drink stand right in the middle of the Olympic winter games. (No word yet on if he’s selling these, or if it’s just a fun concept.)

It made me wonder if any other designers or brands in the decor or furniture spaces had created special releases for the 2026 games, and I came up with nada. Seems like a missed opportunity, right? (Unless I’m the one who is missing something.)

Luckily, there are plenty of cool relics from games of Olympics past. Some are true collectors’ items with astronomical price tags; others on the weirder or more obscure side can be had for less than $200. Here are some fantastic vintage Olympics finds—the oldest one dating back to the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.

Orrefors Sweden Olympic Torch Candle Holder Lars Hellsten 1980s

1980 Moscow Olympics Porcelain Vase

Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games 1984 Mascot Figure Candlestick

David Hockney, 1984 XIV Olympic Winter Games “The Skater” Vintage Poster

1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games Bottle

Original Brutalist Olympic Games 1972 Munich Candleholder

Pair of 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Glasses

1980 Moscow Olympics Vintage Night Light

Berlin 1936 Table Lamp With Olympics Logo

1984 Lillehammer Coffee Set by Porsgrund

Barcelona Olympic Games 1992 Hand-Blown Glasses by Gordiola

Vintage Fondue Pot With Olympic Rings

1928 Olympics Hand Painted Plate with Chiron as Archer by Sphinx

1972 Munich Olympic Games Poster by Josef Albers

Vintage 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics Salt Pepper Shaker Set

1992 Olympics Rocks Glasses by Halston

1980 Moscow Summer Olympics Souvenir

J.A. Henckels Bottle Opener for Munich 1972 Games

In today’s Good Schmutz: A rug-couch, news about Areaware, Roman Coppola’s house, wondrous lighting discoveries, Seletti’s viral pen light, two buzzy soaps to try, IKEA sofa covers by a cool L.A. designer, and more.

#1: The end of an era. Areaware, a brand that defined a meaningful portion of millennial design, is closing. Areaware’s imaginative decor and diverse roster of designers and artists will be sorely missed. The brand’s influence can’t be overstated—you’ve almost certainly encountered its work, if not the knockoffs it inspired.

#2: Here’s a first in multi-purpose furniture: Sabine Marcelis’s Roll, a rug and sofa in one. (Or is it anti-purpose furniture?) Either way, kudos to Sabine for consistently delivering great design surprises. No doubt in my mind one of these will end up in a SKIMS ad.

#3: Heavenly lighting alert: The Giza Suspension II by Studio Ebur. Did you peep those pearls dangling from the corners? There are so many design references elegantly packaged into this piece. Which I can’t afford.

#4: Thirstcross Grange: Try this Wuthering Heights Airbnb in the U.K. for your V-Day escapade.

#5: I’ve always been a bit skeptical of Bemz, the company known for making covers for IKEA sofas. I just can’t be convinced an IKEA sofa is any good, even when dressed up. But I’ll be eager to see what their Francesca Grace collab will look like. Grace, an L.A.-based home stager and furniture designer, has seen a huge crescendo in her career and I do really like what she does with stripes.

#6: Gufram x Luna Luna x Keith Haring. Fun, if impractical.

#7: Cassarohome is one of the most unhinged kids’ furniture companies out there—in the best way. The prices are bonkers, but the goods make me giggle with a sort of ironic delight. $5,000 velvet linen kids’ sofas. $1,000 silk canopies. Newest to the collection: Louis XVI-inspired chairs for littles. Because every child needs a throne.

#8: My Spidey-sense is telling me to be on the lookout this year for faux bois. It’s been popping up here and there in the tours I write for AD, and then I spied these plates by Este Ceramiche.

#9: I enjoyed John Ota’s 2020 book The Kitchen in which he traveled across the country, visiting famous kitchens, starting with one in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He’s now written a sequel, The Dining Room, coming out March 17. It comes at an interesting time, when we’ve been debating whether or not the dining room is dead.

#10: It’s become impossible to escape Ash, the hotel group which also makes furniture, home decor, and bathing goods. Ash’s PR team sent me their soap on a rope, and I love its spicy, amber-y scent. I feel that the return of bar soap is upon us.

#11: Sorry—this newsletter is going heavy on luxury spends. But there’s a point to it all, right? We’re winning the Powerball this week and we need to be prepared. So put this on your to-buy list: Saved NY’s cashmere blankets, which start at $1,750 EACH. These read more like tapestries—many need to spread out to get the full picture. Hard to pick a favorite, but I do enjoy the “Binding” blanket, below.

#12: Roman Coppola’s L.A. home is on the market. It’s my dream house. And I shall soon be the owner, after winning the Powerball.

#13: The decorwebs have been pleased as punch about the Seletti light made in the likeness of a Bic pen. Reminds me of a giant Swatch circa 1982. People are actually buying these as the stock appears to be sold out everywhere. Now I’d like to see how people are styling them in their homes.

#14: I love the simplicity of Astrid Houssin’s Nautilus mirror, featuring a black lacquered frame with spiral details that give just a soupçon of Art Nouveau. You can also order a matching shelf. Houssin doesn’t list prices, so I’m going to assume the mirror and shelf combo is about the cost of my mortgage.

#15: East Fork has come out with hand soap! I have Tender Earth, which is earthy, a little flowery…TL;DR it smells fancy.

#16: Ilia Beauty x Eny Lee Parker. First of all, I adore Eny Lee Parker. The rugs! The lighting! It’s ::chef’s kiss::. This lip gloss holder is begging for a vanity moment.

Howdy!

Welcome to the home stretch of winter. For all you east coasters, hang in there!

I’m pleased to announce our February giveaway for paid Schmatta subscribers is…the Loftie Lamp. I say this with 1000% honesty: I love my Loftie lamp. It’s definite…

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Great interiors are much like the human diet — they require balance. That said, most Americans follow a regimen that suits their tastes and lifestyles. Maybe you’re a maximalist who can’t help but indulge. Or perhaps you prefer decor with the eclecticism of a Cava bowl.

Either way, trends inevitably emerge as goalposts for a healthy (home) diet. When we…

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I’ve been writing about design for over 8 years now. This started when my career brought me to lead editorial for Hunker, a shelter publication I co-founded under the umbrella of a larger media company. There’s a reason I’m not linking to Hunker; it was sold a few years ago and now represents everything that is wrong with the internet. But, back in the day, we were competing alongside your Dominos and Apartment Therapies, etc.

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Hello! This will be the last Schmatta post of 2025. I’ll be back in January (I’m taking a wee bit of time off as we are moving back to LA and have A LOT to deal with). Also, quick reminder that you only have one day left to enter our biggest giveaway yet — a Louis Poulsen lamp worth $1,700. To enter, you must be a paid Schmatta subscriber. Upgrade here.

Anyhow, today’s post is all about what Schmatta posts you read the most this year and some other info. Let’s take a look…

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Drumroll, please…dududuudududududuuduuudddudududddhhhhh…

Announcing Schmatta’s First Annual “Best Design Things” Awards!

When I think back on this awful, awful year, I realize that so much of my joy came through discoveries and furniture/rooms/decor I connected with on an emotional level. So here we go: my 10 favorite design things of 2025. (But seriously, still fuck you, 2025.)

Most Innovative Furniture Company

Sawkille, a small furniture brand based in Kingston, New York, blew me away this year with their tables, cabinets, and credenzas adorned with intimate inlays made of shells, mother of pearl, or brass. Is there a German word for when a piece of furniture makes you feel warm inside and more connected to everything? Because that’s how I felt about this table, this “witch’s hutch,” and this cabinet. Sawkille makes objects that are undeniably poetic.

Best New Product

Congrats to Lazy Jamie founder Jamie McKillop for capturing the design world’s attention with her reinvention of the TV tray. It was an area ripe for redevelopment, and I like that the Lazy Jamie TV Tray Table ($546) isn’t a direct interpretation of the fold-out variety.

Best New Kids’ Product

Let me tell you something: Finding good kids’ toy/junk storage is a challenge. Sourcing something great is unheard of. Most toy chests out there are cheesy and cheap (seriously, we have a plastic-y one from Amazon) or they are expensive without offering enough storage. One of my favorite kids’ furniture brands, NYC-based Oeuf, nailed it this year with its Camel Storage Bench ($620). It’s spacious, and while pricey, is meant to last. And honestly, once your kids are grown, why not paint it, make a custom cushion cover, and put it in your mud room (if you are a fancy New Englander).

Best New Cleaning Product

Alter:Bio reached out to me earlier in the year to ask me to test its new products. Here’s the skinny: Alter:Bio is the first U.S. cleaning brand that meets European standards (and you know they do things better over there). The products work off of synbiotics, which combine pro- and prebiotics to eliminate bacteria. But actually, what I love most was this design tidbit: The bottles are skinny enough to sit on the tiny sink-adjacent countertops of sad New York City apartments. I tried both the spray ($16) and the Active Dish Soap ($19) — both great.

Best New Furniture Brand

Brought to you by the same people behind Sundays, Hetta is an offshoot that offers more traditional-leaning aesthetics. There were two pieces that really stood out to me. First, the Hillside Dining Chair ($990), which is comically oversized, but in an Alice in Wonderland-type brilliance. The second is the Saddle 4-Piece Modular Sectional ($5,200), which features a performance fabric (so great if you have children) that really doesn’t come off at ALL as “performance fabric.” This will definitely be our next couch.

Best Towels for People Who Hate “Trendy” or Boring Towels

2025 was the year Autumn Sonata entered the chat (even though the company was founded in 2022). They make table linens and loungewear, but the towels are the standouts, which immediately struck me as “black sheep”-ish…not adhering to the trends of the day like stripes and checkerboard motifs. My favorites? The Alma collection, followed by the Agnes, and okay, fine, I also love the Hanna.

Best Home Tour

Go figure: My favorite home tour of the year was NOT designed by a designer. It’s the Brooklyn apartment of Diet Prada founder Tony Liu, which was featured in World of Interiors. Liu did have some help on color consultation, however, in the form of Patrick O’Donnell, international brand ambassador for Farrow & Ball. (BTW, I love whenever Patrick shows up on F&B’s IG.) The result is a space that feels entirely cohesive, but doesn’t quite have that “over-designed” feeling. It’s a home that’s all about the absolute perfect color combinations and will definitely be in my permanent inspiration folder.

Best Collab

Look, I will say that the West Elm x Pierce & Ward line was by far the splashiest of the year, and was definitely very, very good as far as mass market collabs goes. But the one I loved the most was with HAY (gotta love them Danes) and Ana Kraš. I had no idea who she was but learned that she created the HAY Bonbon light fixtures that are part of HAY’s permanent collection. The collab she did this year is much more reserved, and almost severe, but kind of perfect in its simple geometry. Of course, it’s basically sold out everywhere except for here and here.

Emerging Talent

I don’t know exactly how I came to L.A.-based furniture and interior designer Addison Byrd but I knew I liked his style immediately. Why? Because the spaces he’s made actually feel like real, attainable homes. There’s a lot of restraint in his work. His talent lies in finding a handful of standout pieces and knowing how to put them together in a way that feels incredibly smart. His most recent project was for singer Lizzy McAlpine. See the brilliance here. (He also has a very happenin’ TikTok.)

Maker to Watch

Ben Tuna runs Glass Visions Studio, a California glassworks business founded by his father over 40 years ago. Ben has been making a name for himself under the moniker “Glass Cowboy” and his Instagram tells me that his creativity is off the charts. (Check out this Porsche that was burned out from the Eaton Fires, which he turned into an art piece, replacing all the windows with cobbled-together scrap glass from stained windows of churches.) I am certain you will be hearing his name more in 2026.

And there you have it! Next week, we will follow suit of many other Substackers and tell you, based on my own data and analytics, what you liked the best in design.

xxoo and happy christmas,

Leo

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Happy December, Schmatta readers! Once again, it’s time for Good Schmutz, my roundup of what’s good, great, and (sometimes) funny in design.

#1: The placing-tile-on-furniture thing isn’t new, but this Welcome Cupboard by Matthew Raw⁠ has an entirely high-craft vibe.

#2: I’ve long felt that bathroom design has been particularly stagnant. People talked a lot about this very ridiculous toilet at last year’s Salone (Milan’s furniture fair). But the most interesting thing I’ve come across in a while is Trone, a Parisian bathworks brand whose slogan is “Finally, good-looking toilets, basins and accessories in bold colors.” And yes, the below is a toilet.

#3: Here’s a good one to note if you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift that’s a crowdpleaser that also leans design. The Prisoner Wine Company, a Napa Valley favorite, donates 5% of proceeds from each bottle in its Corrections series to the Center for Art & Advocacy. The 2022 Corrections Stags Leap Red Wine features artist Jesse Krimes’ Purgatory artwork. (Krimes, formerly incarcerated, recently had this work acquired by The Met.) You can also try The Prisoner’s flagship 2023 Red Blend, featuring an etching by the 19th-century Spanish artist and social activist Francisco de Goya. The Prisoner Wine Company donates 3% of Red Blend sales to The Center for Art & Advocacy. #partner. For ages 21+.

#4: Gergei Erdei (if this dude doesn’t have a tongue-twister or a limerick with his name, he needs one) has designed this gorgeous, Grecian-esque sconce in collab with Porta Romana.

#5: Just discovered glass artist Mad Mad Raven and their gorgeous stained glass fan designs. Would have made for great holiday gifts, sadly, seems as though there is a waitlist.

#6: I’ve written about Koala Eco before, but I want to reiterate how much I LOVE these cleaning products. They’re not so fancy that you feel bad even using them, but they’re high-end enough to make you feel like you’re better than Windex. (And you are.) Honestly, the Complete Collection ($81 for 8 products…a steal) would be a wonderful gift.

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#7: Justine Menard glass. She makes jewelry and decor…and sometimes the decor looks like jewelry.

#8: Attn: Interior designers! Here’s a plug for my own product. I’ve written and edited hundreds of home tours over the course of my career, so I’ve put together a guide for interior designers about how to talk to the press about your work. Purchase the PDF solo, or add on a personalized coaching session.

#9: As Brownstone Boys put it — color of the year? We prefer wood. Take this beautiful, rich wood kitchen by Workstead:

#10: Cabana Mag’s shop has a bunch of really great marbled wares that aren’t too, too pricey. My pick is this marbled cup and pencil set:

#11: Bitossi x Patricia Urquiola vases and centerpieces. Put these two together and you can do no wrong.

#12: More cork for 2026! It’s an eco-friendly, affordable material and I’m seeing more and more applications in bathrooms. See: this design by Charlap Hyman & Herrero:

#13: Finnish bird houses:

#14: Flexible marble??? My mind is blown:

#15: My obsession with Wedgwood continues. Don’t we need these ornaments for our Xmas trees?

#16: Great gift alert for the person who has EVERYTHING. These candleholders for Mutina designed by Ronan Bouroullec are modular and can be moved into several configurations. It’s a limited run of 100 and you have to email editions@mutina.it ⁠to inquire.